How to turn your dead lawn into a lively one

So your lawn for some reason has decided to turn from green and lush to brown and dead. Perhaps it got infested with pests and there was no saving it, or perhaps it wasn’t getting enough water. Or maybe you just want to try out a new type of grass. Either way, you need to re-install your sod. This can be done either through a professional, or you can do it yourself.

Apply an Herbicide

If only some of your lawn has suffered damage, you’ll need to kill the rest of the healthy grass in addition to any weeds. The easiest way to do this is to apply a strong herbicide while your grass is in its highest growth mode (which happens when you fertilize and water your lawn). One application will typically work. If the whole lawn is dead already, then you can skip this step entirely.

Remove the Dead Grass

The next thing to do is to pull up the dead grass. You can do this easily by using a sod cutter, which can be found at any hardware store.

Tilling

After you discard of the dead grass, then you will need to till the soil. This will allow for the new grass to grow strong, will get rid of weeds, and will de-compact it. It’s also imperative to install or repair your sprinkler systems. By doing this now, watering your new sod will be a much faster process. For tips on installing sprinkler systems, click here. Also at this time, you should rake the land and get rid of any rocks or debris and make sure that the soil is even. Sod will conform to any hiccup in the soil, so if you don’t get rid of debris, then the sod will not grow correctly.

Distribute Starter Seeds

The next step is to distribute the sod starter seeds, and then roll the soil so that the seeds are distributed evenly.

Lay Down the New Sod

As soon as the sod arrives, lay it down on the soil as if you were stacking bricks so that there are no gaps in between each piece of sod. You can cut the sod if you have to get around curved boundaries or walls. After you install the first 200 feet, you should lightly water the new sod. After all of the sod is put down, use your roller so that the soil and the new sod are in contact with the other one. Water thoroughly when this is complete.

Upkeep

The grass will start growing, and it will require you to mow your lawn after one week. Continue to water your new grass regularly.

If you would like an estimate of installing new sod in your lawn by a professional, call us at (407) 378-5366.